Coincidences
by pretentious-emo-kid
Summary: Lots of mystery and intrigue. Kate is still alive. Might contain Tate undertones later [I can't resist!] The team keep finding themselves in situations that are strangely familiar to Tony...
1. Thin Ice

Disclaimer: Don't own anything to do with NCIS, or any of the films/books mentioned or used. I'm not making any profit, and this story is written purely for its limited entertainment value.

This is probably going to be a long one, folks. And sorry for this first chapter being so choppy, only I needed to get straight into the story. The others will be a little mellower.

* * *

The team shivered as they exited the truck, shuddering as the icy winter wind snaked rapidly through their clothing, and across every millimetre of exposed skin.

They were on a normal suburban street, surrounded by elegantly manicured lawns, and startlingly white fences. The road was even complete with twitchy curtains, as the curious inhabitants tried to determine just why one of the houses had been sealed off with police tape.

Kate noticed the attention.

"I take it he wasn't found by the neighbours," she said to Gibbs, nodding towards the nearest window, behind which stood an old woman, who scurried away hurriedly at Kate's gesture.

Gibbs nodded. "It was a friend of the victim. She'd just flown over from Australia, on a delayed flight. Arrived about 0200 hours, and when she didn't get any answer at the door, broke in and found him. Called the police who called us…_eventually_." He stressed the word ever so slightly. One of the banes of his existence was the reluctance of local police to hand over crimes with Navy involvement to NCIS. It was a sort of 'finders, keepers' mentality that annoyed him intensely.

They flashed their badges at the cop before them, and ducked under the tape. Looking horribly at odds with the surroundings, they entered the house through the front porch. They emerged straight into the living room, where the victim had been found.

"Well, I haven't seen that before," remarked Tony.

The victim, who was dressed ready for bed, was stretched on the floor in an elongated cross shape, his torso and legs lying completely straight, his arms spread out on either side, at perfect right angles to his body. His throat had been neatly slit.

"Kate?" said Gibbs.

Kate tore her gaze away from the body, and tried to stop thinking how much it reminded her of a crucifix.

"Well," she said, "The marks on his wrists and ankles tell us that he was definitely held down when this was done."

"McGee?" he asked next.

"He's got a black eye, and one side of the sofa has been moved very recently," he pointed at the tell-tale indentation in the carpet. "Suggests a struggle."

"Tony?"

"Great," grumbled Tony, "Leave me with the most obvious. It's execution style; definitely planned."

Gibbs nodded. "Okay, I want you on photos," he said to Tony. "And you two," this time he was speaking to Kate and McGee, "Have a look around."

They nodded.

NCIS NCIS NCIS

"Gibbs!" yelled Kate, "I've found something!"

Gibbs emerged from the front yard, carrying a cup of fresh coffee. Just where he had acquired it from, no one asked. They had all, in their most bored moments, mused that he must pluck them from thin air, after all.

"What have you got?"

"Well, it's not much, but he was due to meet some one today." Gibbs didn't speak, and she took it as her cue to continue. "I found a note by the phone, saying, 'Max, 11am, Rushes Hotel'."

"I presume it was written by the victim?"

"It matches the handwriting in his address book."

He looked at his watch. It was seven-thirty. "When we're done here, McGee and I will go back to HQ, you and Tony go to the hotel, and see if 'Max' is any help."

NCIS NCIS NCIS

"I love the way Gibbs gets to go back to work, and we have to freeze to death running errands," moaned Tony.

"I wouldn't call it an errand," said Kate, shivering.

Tony surveyed the scene. The hotel was of an average kind of size, unremarkable in every way. It seemed to scream, 'suspicious rendezvous!' at you. Ice coated everything in sight. Even the covering of the swimming pool next to the building was laced with frost.

"What would you call it then, Kate?" he asked. "I mean, what do you exactly expect to come of it?"

"DiNozzo, my best friend's seven-year-old moans less than you. Shut up!"

NCIS NCIS NCIS

"I'm Agent DiNozzo, NCIS," purred Tony, to the blonde receptionist in the lobby of the hotel. "And this is Agent Todd," he jerked his head in Kate's direction, who rolled her eyes. "We're looking for someone named Max."

"I could do with a little more information than that, Agent DiNozzo," said the receptionist, icily.

Kate smirked, and took over.

"Petty officer Andrew Staunton was supposed to meet someone named Max here, at eleven. He was found dead, earlier this morning. Unfortunately, that's all the information we have."

The receptionist's eyes lit up slightly. "Ah, I know who you mean. A 'Max Drayton' booked a room yesterday morning for today. I'll just see whether he's checked in yet." She typed something into the computer, and after a couple of seconds looked back up at Kate. "He checked in about an hour ago – a couple of minutes before I started my shift, actually. Do you want the room number?"

"Yes please."

"Room 17, it's on the second floor. You'll have to take the stairs though; we're having some trouble with the elevators."

NCIS NCIS NCIS

"So, room 17 would be…that one," said Kate.

It was in fact the room that a man in a heavy black coat ran out of, towards the stairs. Without thinking, Kate and Tony raced after him. They took no more than five or ten seconds to reach the third floor. The only thing to greet them was a sign that read, _Floor closed for health and safety reasons_.

"Where did he go?" asked Tony.

Kate shrugged.

The next minute seemed to go in slow motion. The door leading to the staircase opened only wide enough for a hand to sneak through. A hand that threw a grenade into the corridor. They heard a key turn in the lock.

Kate had to admire Tony's lack of hesitation. He swung around immediately, and punched the fire alarm. Then over the din of bells and sprinklers, he asked, "Have you ever seen 'The Long Kiss Goodnight'?"

"What?! No! What…?"

But she didn't get a chance to complete her sentence, because Tony grabbed her wrist, and dragged her towards the window at the end of the hall.

"Tony, we're three floors…"

Once again, her words were snatched away, but this time it was because he had pumped three bullets into the window, which shattered, and was now pulling her out of it.

With an enormous splash, they landed on the cover of the swimming pool, and immediately sank into the rank green sludge.

NCIS NCIS NCIS

"Was anyone killed?" asked Gibbs, to the cop on duty.

"No – nothing more than a few fairly minor injuries. Thankfully, the hotel was almost empty, and a lot of people managed to escape the building when your agents sounded the fire alarm."

"Speaking of my agents, where are they?"

The cop pointed.

Kate and Tony were wrapped in blankets, being examined by paramedics. They were also covered in five-month-old swimming pool water.

"You two stink," said Gibbs, frank as ever.

"Thanks, boss," said Tony.

"Why didn't you call?" he asked.

In almost perfect unison, Kate and Tony retrieved their sopping wet, slimy cell phones from their pockets.

* * *

Okay, thanks for reading, and it would mean a hell of a lot to me of you'd take a couple of seconds to review. It brightens my day.

Oh, and the movie reference – 'The Long Kiss Goodnight' has Gina Davis and Samuel L. Jackson in it. They escape in pretty much the same way as Kate and Tony, except it's a lake with thin ice, not a swimming pool. The movie thing is **very** relevant in later chapters.


	2. Diary 3rd December

Disclaimer: Don't own anything to do with NCIS, or any of the films/books mentioned or used. I'm not making any profit, and this story is written purely for its limited entertainment value.

* * *

Dear Diary,

Had absolutely no idea what to wear this morning. One of those days when I feel all fat and yucky, and want nothing more than to just stay in bed, and eat dangerous amounts of chocolate, and drink wine obscenely early in the day. Still, got out of bed in manner of mythological heroine, and pulled on black trouser suit. Beginning to suspect it has actual magical properties, as I did look pretty good despite PMT misery.

After that, the day was fairly easy. Kissed hubby on the cheek on the way out, and got on with business.

They lived, but I'd have been almost disappointed if I'd got them first time.

Yours,

Max

* * *

You all know how much I lurve reviews. 


	3. Pushing and Jumping

Usual disclaimer applies.

This chapter picks up exactly where chapter one finished.

* * *

"So," said Gibbs, struggling not to smirk at Kate's intense scowl, "What exactly happened?"

"We went up to the room "Max" was supposed to meet Staunton in, and a guy ran out of it. We lost him on the stairs. Don't ask me how that happened," he added, to Gibbs' confused stare. "He trapped us in the corridor, and threw a grenade in after us. I hit the fire alarm, and –"

"And pulled me out of a third floor window, into a stinking swimming pool," interrupted Kate.

"Yeah, and saved your life!"

"You could at least have warned me first!"

"Right! 'Kate, do you mind terribly if I – whoops, we're dead'!

"Oh, but you had plenty of time to make some dumb movie reference!"

Gibbs decided to intervene before things got physical. "What movie reference?"

"Long Kiss Goodnight," explained Tony. "Practically exactly the same thing happens in the movie, except they're in a station, and they jump into a lake or something."

"Lucky," mused Gibbs.

"What?" asked Tony, "That I'm so cool and calm under pressure?"

"No," answered Gibbs, "That you have such a crap taste in movies."

Tony was too insulted to speak.

"So," continued Gibbs, completely ignoring Tony's look of shock, "This guy, do you reckon it was Max?"

"I don't know," said Kate. "If it was, why the hell would he be trying to kill _us_?"

"Maybe he wasn't. Did he get a good look at either of you?"

Kate thought about it. "No, I don't think so. Why?"

"Could have heard voices and figured that one of you was Staunton."

"But," said McGee, a little nervous to be pointing out the obvious, "Petty Officer Staunton's already dead."

"Which leaves us with the question – just how many people did he piss off?" said Gibbs. "Okay, McGee, I want you to talk to the receptionist who took the booking for the room. Tony, check who saw "Max" sign in, and anyone else who might have seen him. Kate, you're coming back to HQ with me for a change of clothes, and then we'll start talking to Staunton's friends and family."

"Er, boss, I could do with a change of clothes. I fell in the pool too," said Tony.

"No," replied Gibbs, "_Kate_ fell. You jumped."

Kate grinned widely as Gibbs led her to the car.

NCIS NCIS NCIS

Kate stretched out happily behind her desk, as Tony and McGee entered the bullpen.

"Hey guys."

"Hey Kate. You look –"

"Clean," interrupted Tony, "Warm, comfortable, smug. Choose any of the above."

"I was going to say 'better', but whatever," said McGee.

"What have you got?" asked Gibbs, seemingly appearing, as always, from nowhere.

McGee went first. "The guy who took the booking couldn't tell me much; he hardly even remembered the call. Turns out the credit card details were from a stolen card."

"I hope you're going to tell me you have better news, DiNozzo."

"Well, the receptionist who was on duty gave us a description of "Max", and we got copies of the CCTV tapes. There were no clear shots, but I've sent them down to Abby to see what she can do with them."

"Kate?"

"I've spoken to everyone I can think of, and no one can think why anyone would want him dead. He's had no rows with anyone recently, no family feuds. He was a good sailor; popular on base, hard-working. Perfect, really."

"Apart from being dead," said Gibbs. "I'm going to go and see what Abby can tell us from the CCTV tapes."

"Boss, can I change my clothes now?" asked Tony.

"Of course."

Tony watched in disbelief as Gibbs walked off.

"Tony?"

"What?" he asked shortly, turning to face Kate.

"Thanks for saving my life."

"That was hard for you to say, wasn't it?"

"Harder than you can possibly imagine."

* * *

Please review. x 


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